This is our last day on Franz-Josef-Land. We were drifting off Alexandra Land during the morning. Scientific research is carried out here and we are therefore not allowed to land anywhere on the island. But we found a bird-cliff, housing lots of Ivory Gulls. The plan is quickly made to go on a Zodiac cruise, taking a closer look at the birds.
I was, however, on another special mission today. I joined the dive team!!! What a treat! Our Undersea Specialist Lisa, Baker Oscar, Cold Cook Tanya and the Electrician Dino got me all geared-up. They even had a tank for me!

Efren took us out by Zodiac. I must admit, that I did get pretty nervous once we were under way; this would be my first dive! I hoped that my ears would be all right. I think the dive team observed that I was getting a bit restless. So they started taking pictures of me and Dino tried to be very funny.

Dino is trying to be funny

We arrived at the dive-site and Lisa, Oscar, Dino and Tanya got into the water. To my dismay they came right back into the Zodiac. The water was so murky; they were not even able to see their own fins under water. A decision was quickly made: Lisa had to cancel my dive.

We spend the rest of the day on board MS National Geographic Explorer, heading south again. Tomorrow will be a day at sea, before we once again go alongside in Murmansk, where the outbound clearance will take place. I guess my time in Russia is coming to an end.